A Hike on Claremont Canyon in Berkeley

Hike Date: March 12-14, 2007
Distance: ~ 3 miles
Trail(s): Stonewall Panoramic Trail, Upper Jordan Trail
Where’s it at? Berkeley hills, CA near the Claremont

My girlfriend treated me to a new hike within Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve in Berkeley, one that she has hiked numerous times. Parking near the Claremont the trailhead immediately begins climbing fairly steeply. The trail is a fire road that winds its way through Eucalyptus and grasslands up the Berkeley Hills. The hill doesn’t relent until you reach the highest point of this portion of the park.

We took a quick breather at a wide open grassy hilltop that has remarkable views of Berkeley, the San Francisco Bay and San Francisco itself. It is a great place to take in views of both the Bay Bridge (well, both of the bay bridges…) and the Golden Gate Bridge. I’d imagine a sunset from here would be amazing, especially true if there were dense fog which I’d imagine this would lie above.

There’s one bench that I saw, near the top of the hill which would be a great place to have lunch or grab a snack. We’ll have to go back and continue along the ridge on the Panoramic Trail, but for this hike we turned left onto the Upper Jordan Trail which slowly winds its way back down the hill toward the UC Berkeley campus, coming out near the soccer fields. From there it was all streets and roads to return to our vehicle.

This is both a good destination hike for its view and a nice exercise hike if you live in the area, the hills get your heart pumping. If you’re up for it, make a visit to the Claremont’s Paragon bar afterward for a drink and appetizer and continuation of the excellent views to the west.